


Take Care

by Lynyangell



Series: Stolen Moments [3]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:16:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28678011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynyangell/pseuds/Lynyangell
Summary: A take on the events at Kishua, and the aftermath for Roy and Riza.
Relationships: Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang
Series: Stolen Moments [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2101797
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Take Care

**Author's Note:**

> A part of "Stolen Moments", this particular work takes place during the events of the Kishua disturbance when Yoki is killed. The story is exclusive to the anime, although the backstory for Roy and Riza is based more on the manga.

“Take care of it,” The fuehrer had said. 

The last thing Roy wanted to do was take care of this kind of problem. Paperwork he could deal with. Military intrigue, alchemical research, target practice, all the day-to-day issues of military life; these were all things that he could deal with, no problems. 

He didn’t want to deal with a man-hunt in the middle of a peaceful civilization of civilians, much less Ishbalan civilians. He knew that there had been troubles in the area recently with regards to military-like personnel. A group of ruffians dressed in military clothing had kidnapped a couple of children, two boys not much younger than the Elrics, according to the reports. Roy knew the people weren’t likely to trust the military after this event. 

Still, orders were orders, so Roy found himself headed to Kishua with his team and a battalion of soldiers. He sat across from Riza on the short two-hour ride from Central, trying to ignore the talk about how the whole mission was “overkill”. Secretly, he agreed, but he couldn’t question a direct order from the fuehrer. Things were just too tense right now, after Hughes’ death. 

He caught Hawkeye’s eye as they arrived at the Kishua station, and he could see that she, too, was apprehensive about this assignment. Something didn’t feel right in the air. It felt too much like Ishbal all over again.

When they arrived at the Western slum of the city, things were set up for Hawkeye and Fuery to begin making a detailed registry of every Ishbalan in the camp. Then, they would be sent off to a military-controlled refugee center. Roy hated himself for putting those orders into effect, but he didn’t have any choice in the matter. In his mind, this was just one more reason to get to the top and run the country and the military for himself.

Hawkeye announced to the people that they would be registered by name and face. So far, he thought, things were going well. Yoki, their informant, was still hovering around, trying to get himself into Roy’s good graces. Personally, he was disgusted with the former Lieutenant, but there was nothing to be done for it. Still, he figured a well-placed and veiled threat couldn’t hurt.

“You’d better be right about this,” he told the pathetic, sniveling man. Yoki’s face blanched, and he rushed forward, grabbing an Ishbalan woman by the shoulders and shaking her.

“Where is he?” Yoki demanded of the people. “I know you’re hiding him here, you filthy scum!”

Roy was annoyed with the man’s interference at first, but after a moment, he was stunned into silence. 

Yoki lay dead on the ground, riddled with what appeared to be bullets. But, where were they coming from? Why was there no sound of gunfire? What was going  _ on _ ?

Before Roy even had time to consider this mystery, the soldiers behind him began to spook, and gunshots rang out. They were mostly young, and untested in war, so he wasn’t overly surprised at their reaction, but he was furious as several civilian casualties fell.

“No!” He shouted in fury to his men. “HOLD YOUR FIRE!” His cry was echoed by the other officers. 

The situation was tense, people started to scream about how everything was happening all over again, just like Ishbal. Privately, Roy agreed. It felt too familiar. He glanced at Hawkeye, wondering if she could feel it, too. 

There was no time, though, to dwell on it. He had to take action, now, or more people were going to die.

Some of the Ishbalans started throwing rocks at the soldiers. Roy saw a stone hit Riza’s temple out of the corner of his eye, and he squashed the urge to check if she was okay.

“Time for crowd control, Lieutenant,” he said, stepping forward and pulling on his gloves. 

“Yes, sir,” she replied, but her voice was strange, far away. Roy looked back at her, surprised by the look of fear on her face, even more surprised that she had yet to draw her weapon. There was a small stream of blood trickling down her cheek from where the rock had struck her, but it certainly didn’t look to be a serious injury of any kind. He couldn’t wait for her to come back to her senses. He needed her; this was not the time for Riza to have a meltdown. It was unacceptable. 

“What are you waiting for?” he snapped at her. “I need you to cover me right now.” He knew even as he spoke them that he would later regret his next words, but he needed her to snap out of it, or more people were going to die. “And clean that mess off your forehead, would you?” He wasn’t sure if it was the tone of his voice that worked or his words, but something clicked inside her head, and Riza started.

“Sir!” she said, quickly pulling her handkerchief out of her pocket and drawing her handgun at the same moment. 

Roy snapped, creating a ring of fire between the Ishbalans and the military. If they were lucky, the wounds already inflicted would be superficial, and the only life lost would be Yoki’s. It looked as if there was no chance of discovering Scar, though, if he had been there at all in the first place. 

* * *

It wasn’t too long before something resembling peace was restored. Yoki was dead, and six Ishbalans were injured, one critically. There were no military casualties. 

The people were registered, one by one, and preparations were put into motion to move them to their new location. Roy saw to it that the soldiers who had spooked and fired were reprimanded. He attempted to visit the families of the injured, but gave up when he saw the hatred in their eyes. It was a lost cause, at this point, to even attempt civility. 

He located Hawkeye, who was finishing up the paperwork for registration of the Ishbalans in the temporary command tent. 

“I need to return to Central as soon as possible to report on all of this to the Fuehrer. I think it would be better to do it in person.” He expected her to agree, at least to look at him, but she didn’t look up from the paperwork. He was starting to get really concerned about her. “I’ll need a bodyguard to accompany me to Central, after just what happened,” he said. He expected her to stand up, salute, to say that she would make the arrangements as soon as possible. Still, Riza didn’t move.

Now, he was definitely worried. He glanced furtively around to ensure they were alone and then leaned down to her level.

“Riza,” he said softly. “Are you okay?” She turned to look at him and blinked, as if she had just noticed he was there. 

“Yes, sir,” she said. “I’ll take care of the arrangements to leave for Central immediately.” She rose and left the tent, leaving a very confused and concerned Roy in her wake. 

* * *

He had hoped that they would talk on the train ride back, but Riza sat apart from him, nose buried in a book. He knew her too well, though, and noticed that she didn’t turn the page once for the entire ride. She left him at the station without saying good evening, and Roy momentarily considered following her home. He had his report to make, though, so he made his way to Central Headquarters instead. Riza would return to Kishua the next day, and he would most likely remain in Central, but he hoped there would be time for a private conversation. 

Upon arriving at Central, however, Roy was informed that the Fuehrer was away until the next day. Roy frowned, thinking this a bit suspicious, but filing it away for examination at a later date. At the moment, his most pressing concern was his Lieutenant. So, he left Central Headquarters and headed for the apartment complex where she lived, stopping along the way to pick up a few things that might make her feel better.

* * *

Riza Hawkeye stripped her uniform off on her way to the bathroom and turned on the hot water. She plugged the bathtub drain and poured an inordinate amount of bubble bath into the spray and then stood, holding her arms over herself as the tub filled. When the water reached an acceptable level, she stepped in and sat down, letting the scorching water sink into her skin. She couldn’t even feel the heat. 

She was numb all over.

This had worked, sometimes, after Ishbal, to help her absorb feeling back into her body, but she had a strong feeling that, today, it wasn’t going to have the desired effect. 

The water was nearly cold when she heard a noise in her apartment. For a moment, she assumed it was Hayate, but he was staying with Gracia. She couldn’t bring herself to care.

* * *

Roy was slightly shocked when he walked into Riza’s bathroom. For one thing, he hadn’t seen her this naked since the morning after Hughes’ funeral. For another, she hadn’t moved from her position, and he knew he’d made enough noise in her apartment to arouse suspicion. She should have been on her way to investigate the noise. Instead, she sat in the bath, a few lingering bath bubbles surrounding her. She was hunched over, hugging her knees, staring at the water. She didn’t even look up when he entered. 

“Riza?” he said softly, not wanting to startle her. He wasn’t entirely certain that this woman  _ was _ Riza Hawkeye, but, then again, who else could it be? She looked up at him, seemingly startled.

“Colonel? What are you doing here?” 

“I wanted to see if you were okay,” he said slowly, uncertainly. She made no effort to hide herself from his eyes. He supposed it didn’t matter, because it was nothing he hadn’t seen before, but it unnerved him just the same. 

She was staring off into space again, instead of looking at him, and Roy was starting to wonder if she was having some sort of psychotic break down. He hadn’t expected this. The echo of Ishbal concerned him, too, but her reaction seemed intense in a way he hadn’t anticipated.

There was nothing for it, he decided, as he began to undress. Clearly, she needed him as more than a commanding officer right now. He didn’t think they were being watched very closely, considering all of the drama going on in the military. He was fairly sure that most people didn’t even know she was in Central, so they were safe from prying eyes for the moment. 

The water was cold when he slid into the bath behind her, and apparently he startled her, because she used his given name.

“Roy, what are you doing?” she asked, her entire body tense. 

“I don’t really know,” he admitted. “But you obviously need something, so I’m trying to be here for you.”

“I’m fine,” Riza said instantly, “You don’t need to be here, sir.”

Roy sighed.

“I’m here for you, Riza. Just like you’re always here for me. I don’t get the chance to take care of you very often, so I’m going to take the opportunity now while it’s presented to me.”

She didn’t respond to that, so Roy simply reached in front of her to pull the stopper out of the drain. He let some of the cold water drain out before turning on the tap to replace it with hot and putting back the stopper. For good measure, he added a bit of her bubble bath, which was lying on the edge of the tub. He smiled faintly as he recognized the scent of roses. So this was why she always smelled so good….

“Now,” he began, leaning back and putting his hands on her waist. She turned her head, looking at him as if he had lost his mind entirely. 

“What are you doing,” she said. It wasn’t really a question, but he answered anyway.

“You are going to lay back here with me,” he said, wrapping both arms around her waist and pulling her against his chest. “And you are going to talk to me about what’s going on with you.” She started to protest, but he cut her off. “I want to know what’s wrong, and you are going to talk to me about it. Come on, Riza, how often do you tell me not to hold it in? That it isn’t healthy? Please, just talk to me,” he finished in a whisper, running his fingers through her wet hair. 

She was silent for a long time, thinking. Maybe she did need to talk it through, but there was something about this, something too domestic about being wrapped in his arms, being held so tenderly against his naked body. She took a deep breath, though, thinking that maybe this  _ was  _ just what she needed. She relaxed against him, finally, and started the story.

“I saw a man that I recognized in the crowd today. I’m not sure if it was the same person I thought it was or not, but I thought I recognized him. He was one of the ones throwing rocks. I killed his wife in Ishbal, I think. Or maybe his mother or daughter…. I don’t really remember, but I killed someone close to him. She was the first truly innocent person I remember shooting. I tried to save her, after, and I still remember her blood all over me. He walked in just after and tried to strangle me with his bare hands, but I got away somehow…. I don’t remember how. I remember his face, though, the fury, the grief. And I saw that face again today, and all I could think was that if the same thing happened again, if I had to shoot another innocent person, I wouldn’t be able to live with it. I just couldn’t. I would have to break my promise to you, because I would have no choice but to shoot myself. I wouldn’t be able to live with this anymore after that.”

They were both silent for a long time, holding each other. 

“None of the innocent died today, Riza,” Roy said finally, his voice soft in her ear. “There was no order to murder them. The soldiers who fired have been reprimanded. We made sure that everything was controlled after that, so no one had to die. Ishbal…..” he let the end of that sentence trail off, because he wasn’t sure how to end it once he had started. There was no justification for what they had done in Ishbal, and he knew that as well as she did, but he didn’t want her to let it eat at her this way. 

It felt strange, to be the one comforting her for once. Not that he minded the job, really. He was glad to be able to do something for her, but usually, this was the other way around. It was easy, sometimes, to forget that she was haunted by the past, too. 

“I don’t think it would be worth it for you to shoot yourself,” Roy said, finally, deadly serious. 

“And you would know so much about it?” Riza snapped, tensing against him.

“Yes,” he said simply, holding her tighter. “I know because I know what it’s like to be on the brink of suicide. Maes was the one who convinced me it was better to live on and try to change things for the better than to dwell on the past and pay for it with your life without ever having tried to make things right. I think you believe in that ideal as much as I do.”

“I do,” she said softly. She let herself relax in his embrace again, still mulling over her thoughts.

It was comfortable to be together this way, Roy realized, as he gently ran his hand up and down her arm. He was glad that he’d come, that he’d gotten her to confide in him for once. It seemed that their relationship was so one-sided sometimes, that he was never able to give her anything. Roy wrapped both arms around Riza’s waist and squeezed her tightly for a moment, treasuring this moment that they had to spend together. He let his hand linger against her side, tracing gentle circles over her smooth skin under the water, trying to provide her what little comfort he could.

He’d forgotten, in the years since they’d been together, how sensitive Riza was to his touch. He’d forgotten how gently touching her in this way could make her crave a more intimate embrace. But, he’d known from the start that sex wasn’t an option for the night. He’d dismissed the notion from his mind the moment he saw sitting in the cold bath. She was too upset, she wouldn’t be able to handle that sort of emotional upheaval right now. Sex was about the heart in their situation, it was about emotion and feeling, and Riza needed to think with her head right now. She needed to regain the control she’d lost, to find the ground beneath her feet again.

Still, Riza found herself responding to the motion of his hand on her side, letting her imagination run away with her, hoping that he  _ was  _ seducing her, although she knew deep down that this was not the case. His hand was just too close to her core, and Riza could suddenly imagine just how it would feel to have him reach that destination. She remembered all too well the feeling of his long, skilled fingers inside her, knew the pleasure he could bring her. She bit her lip at the thought, and raised her hips wantonly, hoping to convey her desire.

Roy froze at her actions, realizing what he had been doing, realizing that he was leading her astray.

“Riza,” he murmured, “I’m sorry. I should have said this when I first showed up here tonight. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea…. I-I’m not going to make love to you tonight. I don’t think that’s what you need.”

She was surprised by his statement, and angry, truth be told.

“Who are you to judge what I need or don’t need?” she asked sharply, turning to face him, water splashing over the sides of the bathtub. 

“Someone who cares about you,” he answered. “Someone who knows you better than you know yourself sometimes. Your reaction to that statement just proves that I’m right,” he couldn’t help but add. 

“You shouldn’t start things you don’t intend to finish,” Riza said softly. She was annoyed with herself, if truth be told, for letting her emotions get the better of her. The entire day, she had allowed her emotions to rule her instead of her head or her military training. She was going to get herself killed if she wasn’t more careful. Still, the thing that truly irked her was the thought that she was going to get Roy killed if she wasn’t careful. 

“I didn’t realize,” Roy said softly, letting his voice trail off. He knew that if he made love to her now, it would make her feel worse instead of better. She needed to get better control of herself, and being in bed, where the heart ruled, was the last place she needed to be. He was pretty sure that she understood that, but he still felt guilty for allowing his hands to wander, for allowing himself to forget how vulnerable she was sometimes.

The water had grown cold again, so Roy decided it was time to get out. He rose from the tub and tied a towel around his waist, taking another towel from the cabinet for Riza. He helped her to stand so she wouldn’t slip and wrapped her in the warm, soft fabric. Then, he lifted her into his arms and carried her into her bedroom, placing her gently in bed. He kissed her forehead lightly.

“How are you?” he asked, searching her eyes. 

“Better,” she responded truthfully. “But I still want…” she trailed off, raising a hand to his chest.

Roy smiled, capturing her hand and kissing it before gently but firmly returning it to the bed. She knew then that the subject was closed and that he was right.

“I brought you a new book, and I stopped at the grocery on my way here,” he said. “I thought I’d make dinner for you, if you wanted.” 

“Thank you,” Riza said, touched beyond words by these two simple gestures. Roy dressed quickly in his undershirt and boxers, then went to get the book he’d gotten her. It was by one of her favorite authors, a title she hadn’t read before. 

“You stay here and try to relax some, and I’ll have dinner ready in about an hour,” Roy said, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on her lips.

“Roy?” she said when he had reached the door. He turned to look back at her.

“Thank you.” They smiled at each other for a moment, and Roy left to prepare the food. 

They ate in companionable silence just over an hour later. Roy could tell that he was doing his job, because Riza wasn’t staring into space, seeing ghosts anymore. He wasn’t really sure how he’d known that this was what she needed, but he’d felt drawn to her tonight, and he’d learned long ago that those types of instincts were not to be ignored.

After they ate, Roy did the dishes, then returned to her bedroom. She was curled on her side, reading the book he had bought for her by the lamplight. He was semi-certain that the careworn white t-shirt she wore as pajamas had been his at one time, long ago. He smiled and slipped into the bed next to her, taking the book from her hands.

“Can I read to you?”

Her smile was truly a thing of beauty.

They had spent many nights this way, growing up. At first, it had been a part of Roy’s training. Hawkeye-sensei had made him stand in the middle of the family room in evenings, reading aloud from his alchemy texts, but, later, when they’d become friends, and much later, lovers, Roy had read aloud to her this way, curled together in his bed or hers. Often, he didn’t care about the text, just treasured the intimacy. 

She rested her head on his chest, and he was surprised how quickly she fell asleep, listening to the rich tone of his voice. 

When he was certain that she was sleeping deeply, Roy gently removed her from his embrace and stood, stretching his back. If he went home now, he would have the chance to prepare a formal report for the Fuehrer before dawn. He started to shrug on his military jacket, when Riza’s hand suddenly reached out to grab his arm.

“Stay,” she said softly, her eyes huge, vulnerable, innocent.

Roy hesitated. He wanted to be here for her and to take care of her, but he had never intended to stay the night. To check if she was okay and cook her dinner was one thing, but spending the night together was another entirely. Again, he worried if her emotions could handle it. More than that, he worried they’d be pushing their luck, risking discovery.

“Roy, please,” she whispered.

He wasn’t sure if it was the “please” or the use of his name that made his decision for him, but Roy hung his jacket over the back of a chair and climbed back into bed. Riza snuggled close to him, and he found himself wondering how long it had been since he’d held her this way. They’d made love twice since breaking off their relationship eight years ago, but Roy had been extremely drunk on both occasions, and he couldn’t really remember holding her afterwards. 

* * *

When Riza woke the next morning, Roy had already left, which didn’t really surprise her. He’d done what he needed to do last night, and now he was going back to being her CO and occasional friend. Her lover, Roy, was gone. The next time she saw him, he would be Colonel Mustang.

Still, she smiled when she saw the tiny red rose he must have transmuted, left for her on the pillow.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> The exchange between Roy and Riza in the anime always bothered me. What was happening underneath the dialogue? What were they thinking, and what happened after? 
> 
> This story is my answer to those questions, within the "Stolen Moments" timeline I had created for myself.
> 
> Feedback would be so appreciated!


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